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I know that eating helpful gut bacteria (acidophilus, for example, found in active yogurt cultures) helps our digestion work at its best, and can improve our immune function, but little did I know that scientists are studying the effect of healthy gut bacteria on emotional resilience and mood. It turns out that good gut bacteria seem to work with the function of the Vagas Nerve, the nerve that links the brain to the digestive tract, to stimulate positive emotional function. (Check out a brief intro to this amazing nervous system giant here: Vagas Nerve.)

In mice, this connection made mice more resilient in the face of stress and able to persist in difficult circumstances far beyond their "normal" peers. There is more than some suggestion that human emotions and mental health could be lifted by additions of pro-biotics into the daily diet. Jamie Lee Curtis (Activia!) may be absolutely right: adding yogurt or other pro-biotic supplements can make you a happier, healthier pers…

Several of my clients are suffering with destructive moods, relationships, jobs or unemployment at the moment.I
understand what that vortex feels like: overwhelming physical tension,
unclear thinking, rushed or confused decision making, hair-trigger
temper, uneasy sleep. During times like this in life, it's very hard to
trust that you can find a way to hang on. The present is so unpleasant
it seems endless.

When times like this come to us (and believe
me, they will come to us all, at one time or another), I like to focus
on two aspects of help: making the NOW better each day, and focusing on the small decisions we make so that we can create a more hopeful FUTURE.

The Now:
There is a great deal we all can do every day to soothe our bodies and
minds for optimum wellness even when in an emotional storm. They are
aspects of daily self care, but few of us practice them with enough
patience that they make a difference. Here are the basics I talk to all
my clients about. What a…